Finding the "right" bike is a matter of picking your compromise. Even in a sport as unique as cyclocross, there is no one universally perfect race machine. Most top-end race bikes these days are made from either aluminum or carbon, but there's still room for a great steel bike, especially if you’re willing to look to performance factors other than stiffness—and Ritchey's Swiss Cross (CHCX in shorthand) is one of the best steel CX rigs we’ve ridden.

Frame Details
Before Tom Ritchey was best known for making handlebars, stems, and seatposts, he was a highly regarded framebuilder. Although his focus has changed, Ritchey is still involved in many aspects of product development at his eponymous company. On the Swiss Cross, Ritchey's global marketing director, Sean Coffey, told us that Ritchey dictated, “the exact size and location of the chainstay dent," as well as "the diameter, taper, wall thickness, and butting profile of the chainstays.” Coffey noted that several early, imperfect versions of the CHCX now hang around in the company’s offices.

Matt Phillips

The frame is made from triple-butted, heat-treated steel drawn to Rtichey's specifications—and the tubes are narrow, even for a steel bike: The top tube measures 29mm; the down tube 32mm; the seat stays 16.5mm at the thickest point (it turns out that small tubes also mean less surface area for mud to stick to in sloppy races). The result is a frame that weighs 1,953 grams (size 53, our scale). Ritchey didn’t sacrifice features in a quest to save weight. Eye-catching details include a striking hourglass headtube—the narrow center section mates perfectly with the top and down tubes, and is just barely wide enough for the 1 1/8" fork steerer to pass though, while the tube bulges at the top and bottom to form the headset cups. The company says the headtube’s design saves 80 grams compared to a conventional steel 1 1/8" headtube.

Matt Phillips

The cable stops also help save weight: The front brake housing stop is integrated into the upper headset bearing cover, while a minimalist guide steers the rear brake cable around the seat tube. The front derailleur cable is routed under the downtube, which means you don’t need a pulley to use a traditional road front derailleur; the rear cable runs on the top tube, away from gunk. Behind the seat tube, there’s a tidy fastback cluster of Ritchey’s own design that includes an integrated seatpost clamp. Tire clearance at the chainstay is generous, thanks to thoughtful shaping of the stays, and the company’s decision to leave off a traditional chainstay bridge.

Matt Phillips

Matt Phillips

Parts
Ritchey does not sell the CHCX as a complete bike, so, I built it up myself using a 487-gram WCS Cross fork and Threadless Drop-In Cross headset. The company also sent along a WCS Carbon Flex Logic Post, the time-tested 4-Axis stem, a WCS Carbon Curve bar, and minimalist WCS Paradigm pedals. The final, and over-the-top touch was a set of the company’s WCS Apex 50mm carbon tubular wheels.

I tested the bike with a mix of parts, including old SRAM Red shifters and rear derailleur; SRAM Rival OCT 36/48 cranks; Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 front derailleur and cassette; Shimano 5600 chain; and Avid's Shorty Ultimate brakes, which I set up in their higher power/lower-mud clearance mode. I shod the wheels with Vittoria's intermediate Cross EVO XG tubulars. At $125, they are very expensive, but I found their performance made them well worth the price.

Matt Phillips

Matt Phillips

Matt Phillips

In the Tape Maze
Overall, the Ritchey shines on rougher courses. While bikes with really stiff bottom brackets and great torsional stiffness can feel fast, especially on harder and smoother terrain, the Ritchey's compliant ride could, depending on the course, make this less stiff bike actually faster than a stiffer, faster-feeling, bike. But, if stiffness is your first priority, you will be disappointed by the CHCX. There is noticeable yield and spring in the BB, the frame winds up and snaps when sprinting, and the bike twists mid-frame when you’re jumping between ruts or traversing off camber sections. For riders who enjoy the sensation of engaging in a conversation with their bike, this is a desirable personality trait.

Matt Phillips

The CHCX's small-diameter steel tubes are likely large contributors to its compliant ride. The frame has give that helps it take the edge off rough turf and hardened dirt. Equipped with the compliant post, the ride in the saddle is impressively smooth. The carbon fork is fairly smooth as well, though it tends to be on a different page than the frame—less buzzy, but not quite as forgiving. This sort of discord is common when the frame and fork are different materials. I did experience some brake shudder, especially on firm surfaces. There are a lot of theories on the causes of shudder, and a lot of creative home remedies to combat the problem. The ultimate solution is to use disc brakes, but that's not an option here. I was able to reduce it to the point where it was largely eliminated on soft surfaces, but still occurred on pavement.

Matt Phillips

Euro ‘cross geometry is great for race courses with tons of off-camber sections, really deep sand or mud, and lots of very sharp turns. American geometry is great for courses with fast sweeping corners, and—because the saddle is closer to the ground—it can also make remounts easier. By those standards, the Ritchey is middle-of-the-road. It’s lower (63mm of BB drop), more stable (71.5 degree head tube angle with 45mm of fork rake on a 53cm bike) and every size has a longer top tube than what's considered "European" cross geometry. But it's taller at the BB (less drop) and shorter in the top tube than "American" cross geometry. You don't fight this bike at high speeds and you don't need to flog it when the track is slow. It's compact and maneuverable, pirouetting around obtuse-angle corners without the front end feeling like it's trying to throw you to the ground if you come in a bit hot, or with too much front brake. It's reasonably confident when called upon to carve a grassy sweeper and you can choose any line without too much prompting.

Matt Phillips

The modern carbon cyclocross bike has become essentially a WorldTour road bike with clearance for 34mm tires and posts for cantilever brakes. These are merciless race bikes—and that's great, if that's what you want. The Ritchey Swiss Cross is a ballerina in a sea of MMA fighters. Lithe and springy, it dances its way across the terrain, proving that grace can be just as fast as power.